The Grove Cafe Look: How to Design a Plant-Filled Café

The grove cafe look is a plant-filled café design where greenery is part of the architecture, not an afterthought: trailing plants on shelves, tall leafy specimens in corners and a canopy of hanging pots that makes the room feel like a small indoor forest. To pull it off you need the right low-light plants, a realistic watering routine and a few safety rules, especially around pets and spent coffee grounds. This guide covers all three.

To be clear, we use “the grove cafe” here as a name for this green, biophilic style. This article is not about any business called The Grove Cafe.

What Makes the Grove Cafe Look Work

Biophilic design is the idea that people feel more at ease in spaces that bring in nature: plants, natural light, wood, stone and water. A café is a natural fit, because guests already come to slow down. The grove cafe look takes that idea and turns the volume up.

• Layers of green at different heights: floor plants, shelf plants and hanging plants so the eye moves upward.
• Natural materials: wood tables, terracotta or stoneware pots, rattan or cane chairs, linen.
• A calm background: white, cream or muted green walls so the leaves stand out.
• Daylight wherever possible: plants and people both look best near windows.

Plants also soften sound a little and break up big open rooms into cozier zones, which supports the relaxed mood we discuss in our article on coffee shop ambience.

Best Low-Light Plants for a Café

Most cafés have bright windows at the front and dim corners at the back. Choose plants that tolerate lower light for the interior and save the sun-lovers for the window. Pet safety matters too if your café welcomes dogs, so the table notes which plants the ASPCA lists as toxic or non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Even non-toxic plants can upset a pet’s stomach if chewed, so hang or shelve plants out of reach in any pet-friendly area. For the full list, check the ASPCA’s toxic and non-toxic plants database.

What about a coffee plant?

A potted coffee plant is a charming conversation piece for a café, with glossy leaves and, in time, fragrant white flowers. It wants bright, indirect light and steady moisture, so place it near a window. Our guide on how to grow a coffee plant at home explains its care.

A Watering Routine Staff Can Actually Follow

The most common reason café plants die is not neglect but inconsistent care: three different baristas each give the fern a splash, while the snake plant in the corner is forgotten. A simple system fixes that.

1. Assign one owner. One person, or one shift, is responsible for plants each week.
2. Group plants by thirst. Put drought-tolerant plants (snake plant, ZZ) in one zone and thirsty ones (ferns, spider plants) in another.
3. Check, don’t schedule blindly. Push a finger about an inch (2–3 cm) into the soil; water only when it feels dry, except for ferns, which prefer evenly moist soil.
4. Use pots with drainage and saucers, so water never sits on wooden shelves or drips onto guests.
5. Keep a simple log on a card in the back office: date, plants watered, anything that looks unwell.
6. Wipe leaves monthly. Café air carries dust and a little cooking residue; clean leaves look better and absorb light better.

Hanging plants are the hardest to water. A watering can with a long spout and a sturdy step stool, or pulley hangers that lower the pot, make the job safer. Self-watering pots are worth the extra cost for high shelves.

Coffee Grounds as Fertilizer: Use Caution

It is tempting to tip the day’s espresso pucks into the plant pots. Resist. Research and extension services suggest that putting spent coffee grounds straight onto plants can slow their growth, and a thick layer on top of potting soil tends to compact, hold water and grow mold, which is the last thing you want next to a pastry case.

• Compost first. Grounds are a nitrogen-rich “green” material that works best mixed into a compost pile with dry “brown” materials such as leaves or cardboard.
• Use sparingly. If you add composted grounds to potting mix, keep it to a small portion.
• Never top-dress indoor pots with a crust of wet grounds.
• Offer grounds to guests instead. Many cafés bag used grounds for customers’ outdoor compost piles.

Our article on coffee grounds for plants explains which plants tolerate them and which do not.

Placing Plants Without Blocking Service

Greenery should frame the café, not get in the way. Keep plants away from the espresso machine, where steam and heat stress leaves, and away from food-prep areas so soil and leaves never fall where food is made. Check your local health department’s guidance if you are unsure what is allowed near the counter.

• Use tall floor plants to define zones, such as a laptop corner or a window nook.
• Keep walkways and exits clear; trailing vines should not hang at head height over paths.
• Choose sturdy, heavy pots that will not tip if bumped.
• Rotate plants a quarter turn every couple of weeks so they grow evenly toward the light.

The Grove Cafe Look FAQ

What are the easiest plants for a café?

Pothos, snake plants, ZZ plants and cast iron plants are among the most forgiving. They handle lower light and occasional missed waterings. If pets visit your café, favor non-toxic options such as cast iron plants, parlor palms and spider plants, and keep everything out of reach.

Can I use used coffee grounds on café plants?

It is better not to put them directly on indoor pots. Fresh layers of spent grounds can slow growth and grow mold. Composting them first and using only a small amount is the safer approach.

Are fake plants a good idea in a café?

High-quality artificial plants can work in spots where nothing living will grow, such as dark corners or very high shelves. Mix them with real plants at eye level, and dust them often so they stay convincing.

How often should café plants be watered?

There is no single schedule. Check the soil weekly and water when the top inch feels dry, adjusting for season and light. Ferns want steadier moisture, while snake plants and ZZ plants prefer to dry out between waterings.

Grow a Café Guests Want to Linger In

The grove cafe look comes down to the right plants in the right light, a watering routine with a clear owner and a careful approach to coffee grounds. Pair the greenery with drinks that feel just as fresh. Feel Espresso roasts every coffee order 1–5 days before delivery: try a bright single origin such as Costa Rica, or browse our teas, including Jasmine green tea, for a menu that matches a green, calming room.